Black Families and Body Image: The Need for a Holistic Understanding When Treating Individuals

Extensive studies focus on body image and its consequences on mental health. Unfortunately, a scarcity of research examined body image within the context of Black families’ experiences. Issues surrounding body images among Black people must be understood within the broader historical, social, cultural, and familial experiences in which they exist. Too often, therapists focus on treating Black people who struggle with body image without a thorough understanding of the unique experiences of Black families. For example, how do particular Black families think about body image and how is this passed from one generation to the next? Moreover, how have oppressive structures shaped ideas about the Black body? Centuries of enslavement fractured Black family life through forced separation and other violent means. Through forced separation and the use of physical features (height, weight, body size, skin complexion, etc.) this determined one’s value. Slavery would create a structure that deemed the Black body as property to be owned, controlled and devalued. This presentation centers on the history of and role of the Black family as an integral part of understanding how one might begin to approach treating body image issues among Black clients.

Themes

Key themes addressed in the presentation include: history, enslavement, Black family life, racialized trauma, systemic racism, media’s role, misogyny, and culturally affirming and sensitive approaches.

Goals

This presentation provides participants with a historical and cultural understanding of the role of the Black family when offering therapy to Black clients faced with body image issues. Therapists will come away from this session with an awareness of culturally affirming and sensitive approaches as well as understand how personal biases can influence their treatment of Black clients. Moreover, therapists will develop interviewing skills and techniques that allow them to begin to think about and ask questions that get at the multigenerational factors that could be shaping clients’ body image awareness. In addition to beginning to develop an understanding of the role of Black family dynamics in body image, participants will learn about psychoeducational tools and techniques as these relate to conducting therapy with Black families.